Railway coupling by country

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Listed below are railway couplers as used on historic and modern industrial, mainline, mining, narrow gauge, plantation and transit railways.

Couplers are often known by more than one name. Compromise couplers or cars are used to transition between coupler types.

Coupler types

AAR couplers, also known as American, Alliance, Buckeye, Janney or Knuckle
Albert couplers
ABC (Automatic Buffing Contact) couplers ^[1]^[2]
Railway coupling#Multi-function couplers|BSI (Bergische Stahl Industrie) couplers
CB (Center Buffer) couplers^[3]^[4]
English couplers, also known as British, Euro, Screw+Buffers, Chain+Buffers, UIC.
GF couplers
H2C couplers
Link and Pin couplers
Miller couplers
Norwegian ('meatchopper') couplers
Pin and Cup couplers
Russian couplers, also known as Willison or SA3. Variants include the Unicoupler/AK69e and C-AKv.
Scharfenberg couplers
Ward couplers^[5]
Wedge Lock couplers, also known as London.
CBC couplers

Africa

Algeria

English, Russian couplers on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge track^[6]
English couplers on 1,055 mm (3 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in) gauge track^[6]

Angola

AAR couplers^[6]

Benin

CBC couplers^[6]

Burkina Faso & Côte d'Ivoire

English couplers^[6]^[7]

Cameroon

Russian couplers^[6]

Congo~Brazzaville

SA3 coupler^[6]

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Egypt

English couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

Eritrea

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Ethiopia

AAR couplers^[12]

Gabon

Russian couplers

Ghana

Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock

Liberia (Bong)

Link and pin couplers

Malawi

AAR couplers^[13]

Mali

like Senegal

Mauritania

AAR couplers

Morocco

English couplers^[14]

Mozambique

AAR couplers^[6]^[13]

Nigeria

AAR couplers

Senegal

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Norwegian couplers on Indian Stock^[15]

South Africa

AAR couplers on traditional stock^[13]
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

Sudan

AAR couplers^[16]^[17]

Tanzania

AAR couplers on 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge track
Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge track^[7]

Togo

Center buffer and side chain couplers
Norwegian couplers on Indian Stock

Tunisia

English couplers

Asia

Bangladesh

AAR couplers on 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Stock
Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) Stock^[6]

Cambodia

English couplers

China

AAR couplers on passenger and freight stock
Scharfenberg couplers on high speed (CRH) and subway trains
BSI couplers on Hong Kong passenger units (MTR)

India

English couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock^[18]
Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge track^[19]
ABC couplers on narrow gauge stock
Scharfenberg Couplers on Mass Transit systems (EMU/DEMU)

Indonesia

Norwegian couplers on traditional stock
AAR couplers and Shibata couplers on modern stock

Iran

English, Russian (C-AKv) combo couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

Iraq

English couplers on historic stock
English, Russian (C-AKv) combo couplers on modern stock^[20]^[21]

Israel

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

Japan

English couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on freight and passenger stock
Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) on passenger stock

Malaysia

Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock
Scharfenberg couplers on ERL, LRT, MRT and Monorail.

Russia

Russian couplers on domestic stock (with side buffers on passenger coaches)
English couplers on Euro Stock (exchanged on the border)
Scharfenberg couplers on some passenger unit trains (Velaro, Desiro)

South Korea

English, link and pin couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock^[22]
Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) on Subways and metro car

Sri Lanka

Buffers and AAR couplers

Thailand

AAR couplers on every SRT rolling stocks
Norwegian couplers on historic stocks
Scharfenberg couplers on mass-transit trains
Wedge Lock, Ward couplers on London Underground stock
Narrow gauge lines use a mixture of couplings.

Vietnam

AAR couplers on both 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) rolling stock

Australia and New Zealand

Australia

English, Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

New Zealand

English, Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock
Scharfenberg on some commuter stock (AM, FP classes)

Europe

Austria

English couplers on standard gauge stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger units
Bosna or Scharfenberg couplers on narrow gauge stock

Finland

English (UIC) couplers on passenger cars and most freight cars and on historical locomotives
Russian SA3 couplers on Russian cars and some heavy duty freight cars
"Unilink" (SA3 clone with UIC-style screw link) or "Vapiti" (SA3 clone with movable link arm for English couplers) couplers on the majority of locomotives; compatible with SA3 and English (UIC) center hook
Scharfenberg (some made by Dellner) couplers or Secheron GF couplers on passenger multiple-unit stock

France

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock (multiple units and high speed trains only)
Russian couplers on unit ore trains

Germany

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
AK69e and C-AKv couplers on unit ore trains
AK69e and Russian SA-3 mixed in trains via Mukran ferry terminal
Scharfenberg or central buffer couplers on narrow gauge stock

Greece

English on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg on passenger stock
Center buffer and side chains on narrow gauge stock

Hungary

English on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg on multiple units (in some cases jointly with side buffers)
BSI with side buffers on BDVmot electric multiple units
Link-and-pin on narrow gauge stock

Italy

English couplers on standard gauge stock
Scharfenberg couplers on some EMU/DMU and FS Class E.464

Netherlands

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
BSI, Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Russian couplers on unit ore trains

Norway

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Norwegian couplers on historic stock, narrow gauge only
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock (multiple units)
Russian SA3 couplers on unit ore trains (Ofoten Line)

Poland

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Russian couplers on unit ore trains and Russian interchange stock

Romania

English on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg on Desiro multiple units and some ex-German rail buses
Link-and-pin on narrow gauge stock

Russia

Russian couplers on domestic stock (with side buffers on passenger coaches)
English couplers on Euro Stock (exchanged on the border)
Scharfenberg couplers on some passenger unit trains (Velaro, Desiro)

Spain

English couplers on freight and loco hauled passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on multiple unit passenger stock

Sweden

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Russian couplers on iron ore trains (Iron Ore Line)
Variant of Norwegian couplers on historic (museum) narrow-gauge stock

Switzerland

English couplers on standard gauge stock
GFV, Schwab, Scharfenberg or BSI couplers on passenger units
AK69e couplers within BLS EW III sets
GF, GFV or center buffer couplers on meter and narrow gauge stock

Turkey

English couplers on traditional stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Russian couplers on mining stock

Ukraine

Russian (SA3) couplers on wide gauge rolling stock
Combined Russian/English couplers on SUW2000 gauge-changing coaches
Scharfenberg couplers on some EMU trains
Central buffer and chain couplers on narrow gauge rolling stock

United Kingdom

BSI couplers on older multiple unit passenger stock
Deliner & Scharfenberg coupling heads on most new multiple units but a variety of electrical connection systems.
English couplings, AAR couplers on some freight stock, most loco hauled passenger stock has a ²⁄₃rd size Janney/Buckeye coupler^{[citation needed]}
Wedge Lock, Ward couplers on London Underground stock
Narrow gauge lines use a mixture of couplings.

North and Central America

Canada

AAR couplers on traditional stock
Scharfenberg, Wedge Lock, H2C couplers on transit stock

Mexico

AAR couplers on traditional stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

United States

AAR couplers on mainline freight and passenger stock
Link Pin, Miller couplers on historic stock. Converted to AAR couplers 1893~1900 per Safety Appliance Act
Older city systems have unique coupler designs for transit stock, e.g. H2C couplers on New York Subway revenue stock
Scharfenberg couplers on newer light rail and transit systems
Pin Cup coupler on multiple unit transit stock
Russian couplers on industrial and mining Stock

South America

Argentina

English couplers on 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) and on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge^[6]
AAR couplers on at least some Buenos Aires passenger equipment (observed 1997)
AAR couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge^[6]

Brazil

AAR couplers^[23]^[24]

Chile

AAR couplers^[6]
English couplers in coaches and locomotives bought to Spain
Scharfemberg couplers in passenger units bought to Spain

Paraguay

English couplers^[25]

Uruguay

English couplers^[25]

Gallery

Sri Lankan train with both buffers and centre couplers.

References

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↑ ABC Couplers
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↑ ^6.00 ^6.01 ^6.02 ^6.03 ^6.04 ^6.05 ^6.06 ^6.07 ^6.08 ^6.09 ^6.10 ^6.11 Jane's World Railways 2002–2003 p5
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 http://www.steam.dial.pipex.com/africa.htm
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↑ http://www.besco.in/clients.htm
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↑ Locopage
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↑ Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 594/595
↑ http://www.ajg41.clara.co.uk/iraq/links.html
↑ Railway Gazette International Aug 2008 p517
↑ Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 501 thru 504
↑ Railway Gazette International April 2009, p61
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External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

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[2] ABC Couplers

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[Jane-6] 6.00 ^6.01 ^6.02 ^6.03 ^6.04 ^6.05 ^6.06 ^6.07 ^6.08 ^6.09 ^6.10 ^6.11 Jane's World Railways 2002–2003 p5

[steam.dial.pipex.com-7] 7.0 ^7.1 http://www.steam.dial.pipex.com/africa.htm

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[10] ttp://www.besco.in/clients.htm

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[16] Locopage

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[Jane_69.2F70_pp_594.2F595-20] Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 594/595

[21] ttp://www.ajg41.clara.co.uk/iraq/links.html

[22] Railway Gazette International Aug 2008 p517

[Jane_69.2F70_pp_501-23] Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 501 thru 504

[24] Railway Gazette International April 2009, p61

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v t e Railway coupling
General	Railway coupling by country Railway coupling conversion
Systems	Buffers and chain Janney / AAR coupler Type F & H : Tightlock coupling SA3 coupler C-AKv coupler Scharfenberg coupler Norwegian coupling Dual coupling
Categories	Couplers

Railway coupling by country

Contents

Coupler types

Africa

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Burkina Faso & Côte d'Ivoire

Cameroon

Congo~Brazzaville

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Egypt

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Ghana

Liberia (Bong)

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Morocco

Mozambique

Nigeria

Senegal

South Africa

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Asia

Bangladesh

Cambodia

China

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Japan

Malaysia

Russia

South Korea

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Vietnam

Australia and New Zealand

Australia

New Zealand

Europe

Austria

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Romania

Russia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

North and Central America

Canada

Mexico

United States

South America

Argentina

Brazil

Chile

Paraguay

Uruguay

Gallery

See also

References